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Sites: A Traditional Bath at Buckstaff Bath House

On our summer vacation to Lake Ouachita and Hot Springs, Arkansas, we took a tour of Bath House Row. Hot Springs has quite a fascinating history of hosting and bathing people from across the country for both medicinal and relaxation purposes.

The natural mineral waters were thought (and are still thought by many) to offer therapeutic benefits.

I was fortunate enough to take advantage of the waters at Buckstaff Bath House, which has been operating continuously since 1912. The bath house is located on the border of Hot Springs National Park, and it is the only remaining bath house on Bath House Row still in use today.

My mother and I went for a traditional bath, which included a soak in porcelain, whirlpool tub, a sitz bath, a few minutes in a steam cabinet, hot towel wraps, a needle shower, and a 20-minute massage. All throughout the experience, a bath attendant brings you mineral water to sip.

My bath attendant, Latoya, was careful and gracious and made me feel so comfortable in the relaxing, but very new (for me),A experience.

Afterwards, I felt completely relaxed (which is wonderful with a one-month-old baby at home), and my skin felt wonderful.